"Crisis, Leviathan, and the National Security State" by Robert Higgs was a speech sponsored by The Future of Freedom Foundation February 15, 2014 at the 2014 International Students for Liberty Conference in Washington D.C.

Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism: A special evening with our "Challenge of Liberty Summer Seminars" students and featured by C-SPAN's Book TV. Watch this eye-opening, timely discussion on the recent revelations of systematic government spyingincluding NSA accessing of phone records, USPS photocopying the exterior of all mail, and the dangers posed to liberty and security by these and other such unchecked and unconstitutional powers.

Full Video of The Independent Institutes 2011 25th Anniversary Gala for Liberty held November 15, 2011.Part 1: Introductory Remarks and Tribute to Robert HiggsPart 2: Tribute to Mario Vargas LlosaPart 3: History of The Independent Institute and Fund for the FuturePart 4: Tribute to Lech WalesaPart 5: Special Tributes, Sponsors, and Credits

Co-sponsored by the Independent Institute and Koch Crime Commission
University Theater, Garvey Fine Arts Center
Washburn University, Topeka, KS
Moderator:
Arthur R. Miller, Professor of Law, Harvard University
Participants:
Bruce L. Benson, Professor of Economics, Florida State University; Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute
Erika Holzer, bestselling author of book and major motion picture, Eye for an Eye
Wendy Kaminer, Contributing Editor, The Atlantic Monthly
William I. Koch, Chairman, Koch Crime Commission
Alan J. Lizotte, Director, Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center, University at Albany
David B. Sentelle, Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
David J. Theroux, Founder and President, The Independent Institute
Richard L. Thornburgh, former U.S. Attorney General
Hubert Williams, President, Police Foundation
Marvin E. Wolfgang, Director, Sellin Center for Studies in Criminology, University of Pennsylvania
James R. Wyrsch, President, Wyrsch Hobbs Mirakian & Lee, P.C.
Violent crime continues to be a major social and economic problem in the United States and around the world. This important debate, held before an audience of 1,000 at Washburn University, features a panel of experts from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, including criminal justice officials, business and civic leaders, scholars, and best-selling authors.
In a lively and challenging exchange of ideas, the program addresses why the criminal justice system has become increasingly bureaucratized and politicized, ever less responsive and ever more costly. Topics include victims rights, crime and incarceration rates, restitution, civil liberties, illicit drugs, guns, racism, policing, privatization, and sentencing.
Co-sponsored by The Independent Institute and Koch Crime Commission, this program was distributed by Central Educational Network and appeared on the Public Broadcasting System.

Robert Higgs speaks at a Future of Freedom Foundation conference in 1995 on the ratchet effect- the idea that governments tend to grab power during emergencies but do not cede it completely after each crisis abates- and gives his own analysis of what it might take to slow the growth of government in the 21st century.

In this lecture from 1987, Robert Higgs speaks about governments' tendency to bend or suspend individual rights during emergency situations. He reviews the history of this in the United States and questions whether the U.S. Constitution is strong enough to protect private rights in the face of an unending string of national crises.